


steady light of the moon

by orphan_account



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, ritsu is a patron god and mao is his follower/best friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-07 22:24:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7732036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You really are a hopeless god, huh... Even now I’m taking care of you."<br/>"Fufu, Maa-kun visits and sweeps my shrine every day, doesn't he? He leaves offerings too~"<br/>"Someone has to do it." Mao sighs, "If I didn't, you'd disappear."<br/>“That’s right,” Ritsu gives a hollow smile. Takes a sip of the sake.</p><p>"Gods only exist as long as someone believes in them..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. the condition is uncertain

**Author's Note:**

> i came up with this idea about a week ago and i've been working on it since; i won't abandon starting wind tho!  
> setting is somewhere between the kofun and asuka period i think.  
> mao is 19 and ritsu is. an ageless god?  
> [ **(insp)** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HqAZo80uv0)

It’s early in the afternoon when Mao walks through the forest near his village, one rarely entered or even noticed. In his hand he holds a small dish of sake, a portion he had put aside the night prior and kept safe behind the pots in his family’s kitchen. With two hands, he glances up and down at the dish, to ensure it doesn’t spill, and climbs over some bushes. A path opens up behind them, overgrown and dotted with weeds. Mao gives them a frown as he passes by, then looks ahead once more.  _ I should clean the path again. It’s no good like this at all. _

With a sharp turn to the left, a clearing opens up, grass swaying in the breeze and flowers lining the edges. Mao stops for a moment, feeling the silent August breeze against his face, the cicadas crying from the trees. At the end of the clearing is a considerably small shrine; a stone platform, faded and crumbling from age, but neatly kempt. The small shrine sits atop the platform, made of red and black wood with a wide, open entrance leading to a small room. A broom leans against the edge of the stone steps, placed thoughtfully with care. The shrine appears empty, abandoned, but nonetheless clean. Well kept. Taken care of.

The rustling of the grass ceases once the wind dies down, and Mao breathes.

“Ritsu-sama? Ritsu-sama, are you here…” He steps forward, the grass crunching beneath his feet, summer bugs flitting around his legs. “Seriously, where has that hopeless god gone…”

Then, he hears a soft groan from his left, buried in the grass. He already knows who it is.

“Mm… Maa-kun, is that you?” Comes a voice, and the black-haired figure sits up, rubbing his eyes. Mao pads over, still holding the dish, and crouches in front of him.

“Ritsu-sama, why aren’t you in your shrine… You’ll only get tired out here, you know?”

The god yawns loudly, blinking at his friend through his sleepiness. “I know… But it gets so cold in there. I forgot how sunny it was during the summer though…”

“How do you just forget something like that? Seriously.” Mao sighs, shaking his head. “Well, I brought you something. Please accept it, O Sleepy One.” 

“Is it sake?” Ritsu perks up, a languid smile on his face, then sees the dish in Mao’s hands. “Ah, it is.” 

“It’s not much, but…” Mao places it in the god’s hands, then bows his head. “I hope it’s to your liking.”

Ritsu hums contentedly, swirling the sake around in the dish, appearing thoughtful. “Anything brought by Maa-kun is to my liking~ My one and only dedicated follower, my loyal friend…”

Mao smiles, a helpless look on his face, and lets out a gentle laugh.

"You really are a hopeless god, huh... Even now I’m taking care of you."

"Fufu, Maa-kun visits and sweeps my shrine every day, doesn't he? He leaves offerings too~"

"Someone has to do it." Mao sighs, "If I didn't, you'd disappear."

“That’s right,” Ritsu gives a hollow smile. Takes a sip of the sake.

"Gods only exist as long as someone believes in them..."

Mao watches the black-haired god drink his offering, looking content, but he still can’t ignore the painful tug in his chest. He tilts his head, letting out an empathetic sigh.

Ritsu, the god of moonlight and blood— prayed to for peaceful rest and good health relating to blood circulation. He’s only a patron god of this area, so his followers have dwindled as time goes on, not to mention the forest is out of the way of the village. 

Mao is his only follower now. For the last twelve years of his life, he’s been visiting this god’s shrine. He takes care of it, leaves offerings nearly every day, and through it all, has somehow become more than just a follower of a lazy god. It only began with a chance encounter, but since then, he finds that he can’t just leave the god alone… Whether it’s out of obligation, or that they’re so close. He and Ritsu are more akin to friends, maybe even childhood friends. (Even though Mao remembers Ritsu being a fully grown teenager when he first met him years ago…) 

Mao used to play with the village children, but they all moved out eventually, going on their own travels or becoming a warrior far away. As the oldest child in his family, technically Mao should be doing the same thing. However…

“A blood offering would be nice…” Ritsu muses sleepily, staring at the empty sake dish. Mao stares at him, wide-eyed.

“Woah, can you not say scary things like that? Are you drunk?”

The dark-haired god just sighs, shrugging. “I’m the god of blood, too, in case you’ve forgotten. Having a cat form and all, I’m not too fond of killing animals. I’ll settle for human blood, if anything...”

Mao shivers, rubbing his arms. “I  _ need  _ my blood to live, thanks very much.”

“Silly Maa-kun… I wouldn’t ask for  _ that  _ much blood.” Ritsu chuckles, sitting cross-legged in the grass and leaning on his knee. With one hand, he pulls at his lip, points to one of his fangs. “Just a little.”

The magenta-haired boy blinks at the grinning god, pursing his lips indignantly. 

“So you’d suck blood, then? That’s probably bad for your image, you know.”

“Well, if it’s Maa-kun’s blood…” Ritsu leans in close, abandoning the sake dish at his side. Mao jumps in place, but before he can do anything else, feels the god’s breath hot against his neck, a hand braced against his collarbone. A shiver goes down his spine, feeling his body go dizzy with heat— is it the weather?

“R-Ritsu-sama,” Mao stutters weakly, cheeks flushing red. Ritsu giggles against his neck, and pulls away with a smile.

“Juuust kidding.” 

Mao rubs the spot on his neck where Ritsu had his lips, then closes his eyes with a sigh.

“Honestly… I pray to you for good blood circulation, don’t I? You shouldn’t be  _ taking  _ my blood.”

“Think of who you’re talking to, Maa-kun… Besides, a healthy human body like yours is always producing more than enough blood to spare.” Ritsu sags against Mao’s chest, nuzzling him. “Right~?”

Mao blushes again, making a complicated face at the top of his god’s head. But he lets it go with a sigh, and reaches up to stroke his hair gently.

“Y’know, I’m pretty sure it’s odd for me to be holding a god like this, even if you’re only a small one in the area.” He mumbles quietly, and Ritsu hums, sleepy and content.

“Have you forgotten, Maa-kun? We’re friends, too.”

“That’s… That’s true.” 

“Mmhm, and I love Maa-kun. Since you’re my only follower, I don’t feel guilty about it at all~”

“Is that so?” Mao laughs wryly, shaking his head. “Well, I love you as well, Ritsu-sama.”

Ritsu smiles gently, nestling closer into the boy’s arms. 

“I’m going to rest for a while longer, until evening. Will you stay?”

“Of course. I won’t leave you, Ritsu-sama.”

 

———

 

It’s twilight by the time Mao wakes up, the setting sun disappearing behind the forest trees. The sky is already turning a faded purple, the early showings of stars making an appearance behind the shadowed clouds. 

Groggily, Mao sits up, rubbing his forehead. He must have been sleeping for no more than four hours, and it seems his god is still pleasantly asleep. With his arms wrapped around Mao’s waist tightly, it's evident he shows no plans of letting him go, even during sleep. Mao smiles softly, pets him on the head. 

After a minute or two, he gets to his feet, standing in the field of grass dotted with dandelions. The calming wind blows through each blade gently, signaling the day's rest.

Once he grabs the sake dish from earlier, he walks over to the shrine steps, sets it down in front of the altar, neat but covered in ash from the day prior. He brushes it off with one hand and sets a small flame anew. To light through the darkness, now that night has fallen. 

With his god sleeping peacefully in the field outside his sacred shrine, Mao prays for a cloudless night.    
  


———   
  


Ritsu interrupts his prayers shortly afterwards. 

"Maa-kun..." he whines in a sleepy mumble, rubbing his eyes. "You left me in the grass, you meanie..."

"Ricchan," Mao looks at him, startled, then covers his mouth. "Ah, I mean, Ritsu-sama."

"'Ricchan' is fine," he says, wanders over to his side. "Praying?"

"Yeah," he close his eyes, place his hands in front of him again. "I’m nearly done."

"Mm, okay."

Ritsu remains silent, kneeling next to Mao as he expects his nails, making a small humming noise every now and then. Mao does his best to tune him out as he finishes the prayer— not only for good health, but for expansive moonlight and restful sleep for Ritsu. He may be a god, but he needs some of that too, he thinks. 

When Mao finishes, he bows his head, claps his hands once, and nods. Ritsu looks up at him, blinking. 

"Alright, done. Let’s hope tonight will be peaceful for you, Ritsu-sama."

The god tilts his head with a smile. "Mm."

"Well," Mao stands up, brushes off his robes. "I better get back to the village before it's too dark. The moon is bright though, so maybe it'll be fine."

"I’ll make it shine extra bright for you, Maa-kun." Ritsu giggles, leaning into him. Mao notices his robes getting loose, and although his bare shoulder is... admittedly distracting, it's unbefitting of a god. He tugs it back into place and tightens his obi. Ritsu makes a small sound but doesn't resist as he pats down his clothing, straightening it out. 

"There. Keep yourself neat, okay? Honestly."

"What would I do without Maa-kun, huh~"

Mao laughs, giving him a look. "Oh, please. Well, I’ll be going now. Don't wander off, okay?"

"Okay~" Ritsu singsongs, leaning lazily on a cushion behind his altar.

Mao waves to him once, then jogs across the clearing, reentering the same path he followed earlier that day. As Ritsu promised, the moonlight shines brightly, shedding light through the tops of the trees and leaving dancing shadows on the night-tinted grass. It only takes him about ten minutes before he reaches the portion of forest that leads to his village, and he can smell the scent of charred word and smoked meat wafting from beyond the large trees. Smiling to himself, Mao pushes past some branches, climbs over the familiar bushes, and stumbles into the outskirts of the small village. By evening, it's already lit up with burning torches staked into the dirt, and the faint sound of evening chatter fills the area. It’s around dinner time now; even though he came back late, Mao is just glad he made it in time. He’s starving, having not eaten since the late afternoon. 

"Mao-nii!" 

Mao turns around at the familiar voice; a young girl with short magenta-colored hair runs up to him, enthusiastic and out of breath. 

"Sis! Hey, " Mao says, surprised. His sister places her hands on her hips, pouting at him. 

"Mao-nii, where have you been? We’re having dinner soon, just so you know!"

"I was taking care of something..." Mao laughs awkwardly.  _ Or someone, rather, _ he thinks. 

"Whatever, come on already!" She tugs her brother by the arm eagerly, to where the village center is. Mao stumbles behind her, nearly tripping on his own feet. 

“Whoa, whoa, okay, I'm coming!” 

Hand in hand, the two siblings make their way to the center of the village, lit up with chatter and laughter. As his sister pulls him into their house, Mao smiles to himself and shakes his head.

_ I don’t ever get a break, huh? _


	2. cloudy skies unstable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm lucky you even found me that day..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late update, here's chapter 2  
> first half is 12 years prior, second half is present.  
> enjoy!

The harsh sunlight beats down on Mao’s neck as he trudges forward, holding a makeshift fishing pole in one hand, and his catch of the afternoon in the other. Sweat drips down the back of his neck; the heat is almost too unbearable, but he heard that it was going to cool down at night, so he’s resolved to hold out till then. With a hefty sigh, Mao carries the wooden bucket up higher as he follows the dirt path leading to his home village. When the mud and straw huts come into view, Mao sighs in relief, feeling at home already. With the sight of his fellow villagers bustling around busily and the sound of laughter reaching his ears, it really is starting to feel like something exciting. If he’s not careful, Mao just might start enjoying himself too much, too.

“Maaao-nii~!”

Mao jumps in his skin at the sound of that voice, nearly dropping his proud catch all over the grass in front of him. Luckily, he maintains the grip, and turns around only to see a young girl with short magenta-colored hair and large emerald eyes, just like him.

“Woah! Don’t scare me like that, Sis!” Mao sighs, exasperated, and the girl giggles cheerfully, reaching for the bucket of fish.

“You have to help get ready for the festival, too! Papa wants you to collect more firewood!”

“Even though I just finished catching dinner?” Mao sighs heavily, slumping forward. “Aw well, I guess it’s fine. I’ll do it.”

“Yay, that’s my older brother~” The young girl sings, twirling around. “I’m gonna help Papa cook for tonight. See you later, Mao-nii~”

Mao watches his sister jog back over to the center of the village, busy with lively chatter and sounds of the festival preparation. He sighs affectionately; she’s always been a fast-paced girl, but she does cling to her brother quite a bit. Even though he finds it endearing, it’s still a little troublesome at times… But Mao doesn’t mind _that_ much, of course. She’s his sister, after all.

Shaking his head, Mao turns around and this time heads for the forest to the left of the village entrance. It’s been mostly unused, but it has a great supply of wood, and the other villagers make trips to the forest every now and then. His family tends to leave the heavy duty work to him, with tasks such as collecting heavy materials and catching fish in the river downstream. It’s a bit of a pain, honestly, but Mao can never really refuse. He likes being helpful… Especially for events like today.

The Blood Moon Festival. A date that changes with every occurrence— on the night of a total lunar eclipse, his village celebrates this strange, hauntingly beautiful phenomenon as they enjoy the night. Typically, the total lunar eclipses are rare, so the actual festivals are few and far in between… But Mao's village will celebrate even just normal lunar eclipses, when there is a full moon.

For some reason, no one really knows why they celebrate the blood moon in the first place. The village elders are forgetting more and more, and not even the parents seem to be telling their kids. Celebrating has always been tradition though, and Mao finds it easy enough to just go with that. Despite everything, it’s still a big occasion in his village, and he takes it rather seriously.

With that in mind, Mao climbs over the bushes, careful so his tunic doesn't snag on the branches. When Mao peers to his right, a dirt path opens up further down the opening. It’s mostly overgrown with patches of summer grass and weeds, yellow and blue wildflowers dotting the grassier areas. If Mao remembers his neighbor’s words correctly, there _should_ be a good amount of fallen branches and sticks deeper in the forest, near a clearing.

_Look for a dirt path near a river! It sparkles brightly in the sun, so you can't miss it~_

Mao’s friend’s words echo in his head, and peering down the path, he discerns that this must be it. Taking a decisive step over some protruding tree roots, he goes deeper into the forest.

With the heat of the sun on his back, Mao follows the path, searching for any sight of the river. Ahead of him, he can hear the sound of water rushing over rocks— and knowing that the river by his village runs behind it, he must be in the right spot. Feeling a rush of adrenaline through him, Mao runs through the grass eagerly. The sparkling river runs through the forest on his right, and he smiles to himself, relieved that he’s found the same place his friend spoke of.

It’s only then when he notices something dark in the middle of the path.

“What is that…” Mao mumbles to himself, and with his curiosity getting the best of him, he loses focus of the river and walks over to the dark lump.

Upon a closer look, it’s a pile of clothing concealing something round, rising up and down slowly. Intrigued, Mao crouches in front of it, shoves the clothes aside, and gasps.

At his feet lays a black cat, appearing at least seven years in age, fast asleep on the dusty path. Its fur is covered in dirt and dust from the path, but appears relatively unharmed aside from the pained look on its face.

"What's this? A cat?" the young boy says, tilting his head in confusion. "It looks weak... I better take care of it."

Gently, Mao lifts the cat with his small hands, the creature sagging in his fingers. He carries it to the side of the path, closer to the river, and sets the cat down.

"Jeez. This cat is real dirty, huh... I wonder if it has an owner?"

At that moment, the black cat's eyes spring open, bright scarlet irises burning straight into Mao's. A chill of— fear, shock, Mao doesn't _know_ what— runs down his spine, and he yelps, nearly dropping the cat.

"Woah!!" he exclaims, stumbling backwards, and the cat leaps out of his arms, landing on its four black paws in front of him. Bewildered, Mao watches the cat as it licks itself clean, brushes off remaining dust behind its ears. It looks to Mao once, opens its mouth to yawn, and—

A gust of wind. A "poof" sound. And an actual, real-life human-like yawn.

Mao _knows_ his village believes in gods and deities. He prays to them every night, the elders preach about them all the time, but he's only seven years old. What does he _really_ know about these beings? As far as Mao knows, they might not even exist in the first place.

But despite all that, if he's not mistaken, that is. Certainly a person right in front of him. Where the cat was before.

And they're not wearing clothes.

"Wah!!" Mao yells, covering his eyes immediately. "I'm sorry!! There was a cat, and—"

"Huh...?" The black-haired person sits up slowly, looking to his side at the small child cowering in front of him. His movements are languid, lethargic, as if he’s been sleeping for decades. He scowls softly, too tired to make any other expression. "A~Ah... So noisy..."

"Um, uh, I'm sorry," Mao peeks through his fingers, then shuts them again. "Sir."

The black-haired man offers an amused laugh, only under his breath, and closes his eyes with a smile. "‘Sir’? I'm a god, you know."

"You're naked though!! Where are your clothes!" Then Mao realizes— the pile of clothing from before. "Oh, wait! I know where, hold on."

The god watches as Mao scrambles to his feet, nearly tripping out of his own enthusiasm. He carries the pile of clothing back, panting lightly. Kneeling in front of the god, he places the dark garments in his lap and pats them securely.

“There!”

"Ah, thanks. You saved me." The god says, voice low from exhaustion. He slips the dark clothing on, ties the yellow sash around his waist. "I could’ve disappeared back there, but I passed out instead, I guess..."

"Huh?" Breathless, Mao tilts his head. "‘Disappear’?"

"Mm. It's unfortunate, but..." he leans back on his arms, dropping his head back. "I'm losing followers— meaning, I'm losing my strength. If I'm not careful, I might disappear entirely."

"What?! That's not good!" The magenta-haired boy yells in shock. "What were you doing out here then?"

"Well, my cat form preserves energy... I thought I’d travel out to find more followers, but I got too tired." He shrugs, a little _too_ nonchalantly than the situation calls for. Mao frowns, worried.

"Is that how it is? Do you have a shrine? I’ll take you there." He offers eagerly. The determination shows on his face, though, and the god studies him carefully through half-lidded, crimson eyes.

"Would you?"

"Yeah! Um," Mao stands up; his total height only reaches about half the height of the god when he's sitting down, so he's not so sure how this is going to work. "...Maybe you can turn back into a cat?"

The god shrugs. "Fine with me."

"By the way, my name is Mao. What's yours?"

The boy smiles warmly, a smile as soft as sunshine, with his hand extended. The god blinks back in surprise, eyes wide. He feels a pull at his chest, like something weighing him down— but not in a bad way. Like something reaffirming his existence.

And he smiles back.

"My name is Ritsu, god of moonlight and blood. Thank you for rescuing me, Mao-kun."

 

———

 

It’s another warm afternoon when Mao sees Ritsu next, the two of them lying lazily in the grass near his shrine. After waking up from a strange but familiar dream, Mao had gathered up an offering for the day and headed over to the god’s shrine. He had pushed the thoughts about his dream to the back of his mind; they probably weren’t too important, anyways. By the time he found Ritsu lounging on the steps of his shrine, he had practically forgotten about it already.

Now, Ritsu is curled up around Mao, finding great interest in decorating his magenta hair with tiny white flowers and blades of grass, (making him sneeze every now and then.) Next to the pair is a plate of grilled trout, Mao’s offering of the day, except the listless god insisted on sharing it between them. Swinging his legs in the air, Mao buries his face in his arms and groans.

“And you know what Subaru said? ‘ _But it was so shiny! I couldn’t help myself~’_ Seriously!” Mao tries his hardest not to slam his face against the grass, as Ritsu stifles a laugh. “The merchant would’ve speared him in the gut if he actually went through with it…”

Ritsu just leans his cheek against his arm, smiling affectionately at his friend. _For being such a kind person, Maa-kun sure complains a lot_ , the god thinks to himself, chuckling quietly.

Leaning on his elbows now, Mao tosses his hands up in the air, turning his chin up. “Luckily, Hokuto was there. I trust him with Subaru, but they’ll get into a lot of trouble if _I’m_ not there, too.” He sighs, and Ritsu just laughs, picking up some of the fish with one hand and inspecting it with a smile.

“Sounds like your friends are lively, Maa-kun…”

Mao scoffs, shaking his head. “Lively is an understatement. But yeah.”

Ritsu leans on his elbow, sticks the fish in his mouth. “I’ve never met them, though…”

“Hm? Ah, well… A while ago, they left the village to travel. I only get to see them when they come home.” Mao explains. Ritsu looks at him, then back to the pile of picked flowers in front of him. He picks one up, spinning it between his fingers.

“You should’ve brought them here,” he pouts, a twinge of hurt in his voice. Mao raises an eyebrow, then nudges his friend with his elbow.

“Hey, y’know you can come out to see them, too. It’s not my job to…”

“Don’t forget, Maa-kun,” Ritsu sighs, rolling into the magenta-haired boy. “I can’t leave the clearing anymore. You know that.”

"Ah, that’s true.” Mao frowns, realizing his mistake. “But you have your cat form, don’t you? Why don’t you just leave that way?”

"Well,” Ritsu sits up to stretch his arms in the air, the gesture lifting him gently off the ground. “No matter the form, it's impossible for me to wander too far from my shrine nowadays. I don't have enough strength. If I left, my existence, my faith energy, would only weaken more, see?"

He floats softly in the air, looking at Mao expectantly. Mao blinks in understanding, the realization hitting him.

"So it's even more important that I visit, isn't it..."

"Yeah, and no one wants to come out this far into the forest."

Ritsu sighs, leaning back with his legs crossed, floating.

"I'm lucky you even found me that day..."

Mao blinks, the contents of his dream, those memories, flooding back to him. The black cat, the bucket of fish, his sister’s cheerful laughter— all of it quickly becomes a jumble, except for those blood crimson eyes set beyond obsidian hair.

_Ah…_

Now he remembers.

Back then, Ritsu couldn’t even get past the outside of his shrine’s clearing in his cat form. For him to leave in that form now… Would it even be possible for him to leave the clearing at all? A sinking feeling in Mao's gut forms when he realizes that it’s been ages since they last tried to get him to actually _leave_ , and now it must be even worse. Feeling the anxiety inside, Mao clenches his fists, biting his lip.

“Maa-kun?” Ritsu says softly, still floating.

Mao looks up at the god, who blinks down at him languidly through half-lidded red eyes. Every day, Mao thinks about how his beloved god is only existing by the thread of a single string. They talk about it _often_. But he doesn’t want Ritsu to remember… Not when he’s smiling, when he’s actually enjoying his existence. If it’s going to be like this, Mao would rather fill it with happy memories, happy conversations.

So he shakes his head, sitting up straight.

“Nah, it’s nothing.” He smiles, lifting his head to give Ritsu a look. “How long are you going to be hanging up there, anyway?”

“Hm?” Ritsu grins, floating over onto his stomach, resting his chin on his hands. “Do you feel even shorter like this, Maa~kun?”

“It’s only one inch, you know!”

Giggling, the black-haired god floats above the very exasperated Mao, inches apart from him. Mao falls backwards, his back hitting the soft grass behind him, and Ritsu drops directly onto him.

“Oof! _Ricchan!!_ ”

“Let’s cuddle like this, okay… I don’t want to talk about sad things anymore…” Ritsu mumbles, burying his face into Mao’s shoulder, their legs tangling together. Being this close to Ritsu makes Mao’s heart beat a little faster, his gut twist a little harder, but he doesn’t dislike it. Even if he’s being laid on by a sleepy cat god.

Reaching up to pat his head, Mao sighs with a smile. “Yeah. We can do that.”

"Mm..." Ritsu nuzzles up into his friend's hand, content and smiling. 

And just like that, the two lie in the clearing, cushioned by the summer field. Bathing in the sunlight of pure euphoria, the god and his best friend rest, forgetting the sad things, even just for a little while.


End file.
